Renowned chef Clare Smyth treats diners to a surprise new menu at her Australian restaurant, Oncore

She is a wildly successful chef who catered Harry and Meghan’s wedding and she’s now treating Aussies to an epic menu at her three-hatted restaurant.

Internationally renowned chef Clare Smyth has a lot to be proud of and while she’s too humble to brag, we’ll happily do it for her.

The Northern Irish chef is the only chef in the world to hold three Michelin stars and three hats across her London and Sydney restaurants.

During a sit-down interview at her highly acclaimed Oncore restaurant at Crown Sydney, Clare opened up about her gastronomical empire and successes, including catering for a royal wedding.

Fun fact: Her Aussie restaurant features Core fried chicken – the very same snack Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had at their wedding.

She said while catering for the pair is up there in her list of achievements, learning she’d been given three Michelin stars for her restaurant Core by Clare Smyth in Notting Hill, London was something she’ll “never forget”.

Internationally renowned chef Clare Smyth opened Oncore by Clare Smyth in 2021. Picture: Richard Dobson

“It was the most amazing thing that happened and we were in lockdown,” she laughed.

“But it was very, very special and I guess that makes it really quite unique and special at the same time.”

Throughout her career, Smyth – who grew up on a farm in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, before relocating to London at 16 – has earned endless awards including the title of the World’s Best Female Chef 2018 by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

She also received two stars in the 2019 Michelin Guide for Great Britain & Ireland, which culminated in January 2021 when she earned three stars for Core.

In 2021, she ventured Down Under where she made her mark on the Aussie food scene after opening Oncore at Crown Sydney.

Not only is she a three-Michelin star chef, but she also earned three hats for the Barangaroo-based restaurant.

Clare is the first and only female chef to be awarded three Michelin stars in the UK for her restaurant Core by Clare Smyth. Her Aussie-based restaurant has three hats. Picture: Richard Dobson

Smyth’s unparalleled approach to food catapulted Oncore into becoming an instant hit and rightfully securing three hats.

It boasts stunning Harbour views from the 26th floor and high-end, quality dishes that pay homage to Clare’s roots.

The 45-year-old is passionate about giving diners the ultimate experience, which is why she’s introduced a new tasting menu.

Lunch and dinner menus at the restaurant can set you back about $350 per person, however, for the first time, Smyth has introduced a bar menu including a four-course tasting menu at $150 per person.

For the first time at Oncore, she created a tasting menu allowing diners to try her signature dishes, at a more affordable price.

She said it’s a wonderful way for new diners to experience the restaurant’s offering, “without needing to commit to the full tasting menu in the main dining room”.

Smyth said in a cost-of-living crisis, the menu is also less of a commitment from guests.

“The cost of living has risen considerably and people are more considerate about what they spend,” she told news.com.au.

“They’ll just save that for a great experience and I think it’s up to us in hospitality to make sure we deliver those experiences so when people spend their hard earned money, they think it’s worth it.”

The iconic 'Potato and roe' served with seaweed beurre blanc, herring and trout roe.

One of the dishes on the tasting menu includes the unexpected yet celebrated centrepiece of Smyth’s London restaurant, “Potato and Roe”.

Its reflective of her sophisticated cooking with the simplicity of style.

“It’s the one that always really stands out and surprises people,” she said.

“I also grew up with it – (for this dish) we cooked it with seaweed, we’ve got fish roes on the top. It’s a very humble dish and takes a couple of days to prepare.

“Although you think it’s quite simple, it’s not, but it’s about the nostalgia and the connection that people have with it.”

There is also a selection of dishes that can be ordered a la carte like the $8 Core fried chicken.

Perhaps something not many people realise is the snack was on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding menu in 2018.

It is same recipe Smyth developed for the pair’s midnight snack options.

The Core fried chicken and caviar in all its glory.

The southern-style fried chicken is brined overnight in buttermilk and mustard powder giving it a punchy and juicy flavour.

“I’ve done so many things in my career that I’ve been so fortunate to do,” Smyth told news.com.au, adding that catering for a royal wedding was one of them.

She said the opportunity came about just a year after she opened Core in London, when Meghan dined at her restaurant.

It’s $8 a piece and an extra $12 for the caviar.

“They both love food and Meghan particularly really loves food and restaurants and she had been to Core and the call came in and they asked if I wanted to do it,” she said.

“They wanted the food from Core but we very much worked together to put the menu together and they’re so passionate about produce.

“The King is incredibly passionate about produce and how it’s farmed, as are we, so it was a really good synergy.”

The snack is $8 a piece and an extra $12 for N25 Cavier on the bar menu.

There’s also the option to pair each item with a mini cocktail – and it’s not just any cocktail, some take hours to prepare.

For example, the Beef & Bourbon involves cutting down beef from the restaurant and rendering it to an oil.

“Then we add the whisky to that oil, we mixed it up a bit, we let it sit for a few hours and we chuck it in the freezer,” Oncore’s bar manager, Roean Patawaran, told news.com.au.

“That helps solidify the fat, but once you cut out the fat and you render and strain it, you’re left with a beef tasting bourbon.”

The unique restaurant is a testament to Smyth’s vast gastronomical experience where she developed a lot of her skill under the guidance of Gordon Ramsey. She worked with Ramsay for 13 years and was Chef Patron of his three Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, before open Core in 2017.

The best advice he’s given her?

“To focus on myself and not other people,” she said. “That’s very valuable advice for anyone.

“And you don’t always have to get along with the people you work with,” she laughed.

“Gordon has given me, still gives me, a lot of good advice. He’s a great mentor.”